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Peter Moores says spinner Simon Kerrigan is very deserving of his call-up into the England squad.

Last Updated: 18/08/13 1:12pm

Simon Kerrigan: Has impressed coach Peter Moores

And Moores says Kerrigan has the temperament to cope with the occasion if he gets the chance to make his Test debut in The Oval contest.

"It's great news," said Moores. "We had a suspicion he had a chance, because he had been drafted in for the two-day game against Australia (by the England Lions) last Friday-Saturday.

"He's had a great season, and a good couple of years. He's the most attacking young spinner in the country at the moment, so it's good to see him get some recognition internationally."

Regarding the player's character, Moores added: "What you look for in players, is people who like pressure, who enjoy it.

"Everybody's got to handle it and sometimes it's tough, but what he's done all the way through since we've had him is loved bowling in tough situations.

Kerrigan to relish challenge

"He's always wanted to take on the best players and I think that's what you need to go on to the next level.

"He'll love the challenge, if he gets the opportunity to play at The Oval."

Asked what Kerrigan would bring to the squad, Moores said: "He's a left-armer spinner, so he turns it away from the right-hand batsman. That's different (from England's first-choice spinner Graeme Swann).

"He spins it hard and he's not dissimilar to Graeme Swann, who really does give the ball a heck of a rip and gets turn on more or less any surface.

"Simon is similar. He spins the ball very hard, he's an aggressive, attacking spinner. He will give a different option if they play him, because the angles you attack from as a left-arm spinner are different to the off-spinner."

Kerrigan seems to have leapfrogged Sussex's Monty Panesar in the England pecking order, completing a very tough period for Panesar, who was fined by the police recently after a drunken clash with bouncers.

Moores said: "Monty has had an interesting season and an interesting couple of weeks.

"Statistically, Simon has performed better than Monty has this season, and that's why he's got his recognition, as much as anything else. He's got 47 wickets in first-class cricket this year, which is a great effort.

"Simon has earned the right through his own performances and he gets a lot of five-wicket hauls so, when he gets on a roll, he can make a big difference in a game, and that's something that I think would excite England."

It has been suggested that Kerrigan's Lancashire team mate Jimmy Anderson, usually a mainstay of the England pace attack, could be rested for The Oval encounter.

Moores said: "Jimmy will want to play. He loves cricket and, if he's fully fit, he'll be desperate to get out there. He's just got better and better.

"It would be great to see two Lancastrians on the field at the same time and the key now is whether they play two spinners or not. Swann is definitely going to play, so it depends a little bit on the surface."